ISLAMABAD: Australia on Tuesday announced new agricultural research projects for Pakistan in certain areas including salinity management and pulses production.
The projects were announced by Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Centre for International Agriculture Research (ACIAR), Professor Andrew Campbell during his recent visit to Pakistan, the Australian High Commission in Islamabad said in a press release.
The new projects continue with the ACIAR’s 35-year history of research and development activity to improve the livelihoods of rural communities in Pakistan.
The initiatives include a 10-year programme on salinity management; a research project to deepen understanding of rural transformation in China, Indonesia, Myanmar and Pakistan; and a project on competitive and socially inclusive value chains for the development of pulses production in Pakistan.
Australia’s High Commissioner to Pakistan Dr Geoffrey Shaw said the ACIAR’s work in the agriculture sector was a key component of Australia’s engagement with Pakistan.
“As a leading agriculture exporter and with the world-class expertise in agricultural research, Australia sees great scope to cooperate in building Pakistan’s agricultural capacity,” Dr Shaw said.
Professor Cambell said the ACIAR projects could change the lives of farmers across Pakistan.
“We look forward to developing our long-term partnership with Pakistan for research and development that will improve the productivity and resilience of agriculture in Pakistan,” he said.
ACIAR is an Australian government’s agency that specializes in the international agricultural research for development and it currently supports 13 projects in Pakistan, spanning all regions of the country.
Working closely with the Pakistan’s federal government, provincial departments, non-government organizations, academia, and the private sector, the ACIAR funds research and technical capacity building on livestock and dairy, climate change, cereal productivity, crop diversification, and land and water management practices.
